Strategy Elicitation is the how an NLPer models how another achieves excellence or how they do something using internal representational systems and external influences.
Knowing what strategies are being used in oneself and other people, can result in powerful changes, resulting in the change in a response to situations.
Firstly, get into rapport (the “t” is silent when spoken in English) with the client, and explain that you will be asking questions on how they do what they do.
It is important during the strategy elicitation that the person eliciting the strategy, keeps out of the situation, does not involve themselves in the process by saying such things as, “Oh yes I do that as well“, or “Oh I do it this way“. They should only aim to keep the person on-track in the process they run.
Notation of the strategy will use the modalities, VAKOG, rep systems, along with other coding. (Click to see list). Only write down the notation, not notes nor sentences.
- Ask the person to fully associate into the thing they have/will do, the strategy, as if they are doing that process now. You can keep that person associated in the strategy by asking present tense language questions, “What is the next thing that you do?”
- Ask the person “What is the first thing that happens?” and “How do you know?”
- Continue through the strategy, step by step, by asking “What is the next thing that happens?” and again “How do you know?”.
- Keep looking for clues which will help you identify which modalities, VAKOG, they are using, by observing Eye Accessing Cues (click to view), body language, hand movements, language patterns along with their predicates (click to view).
- As you notice the representation system being used, VAKOG, write it down in the notation described.
- Do not get involved with the content of the strategy. You do not need to know how many eggs or how many grammes of flower are needed to make a chocolate cake, just the representational systems in use.
- Keep asking the questions in item 3. “What is the next thing that happens?” until you find the EXIT or the trigger that tells them that the strategy has ended, that they have completed. What is the modality that tells them it is complete? “How do you know?”
- Be aware of the TOTE Model, Test, Operate, Test, Exit. (click to view).
KISS the strategy elicitation process, that is Keep It Simple Stupid, do not over complicate the process, only look for the main rep’ systems.